Per 9to5Mac, Apple seems to have updated the OS X Mavericks Golden Master (GM) version to a new build. The new build is 13A603 while the original GM seed was 13A598. It’s not common for Apple to change the GM build for a Mac OS, but it is not without precedent. Apple has altered GM iOS seeds before they shipped to customers on a few occasions in the past. Users of the new build have not reported any noticeable user-facing alterations…

The new Mavericks build is not available via the Mac Developer Portal or via Software Update. Instead, it is appearing for users installing OS X Mavericks GM for the first time. Additionally, multiple readers have had success installing the new build by re-installing the Mavericks GM over the 13A598 version. It is currently unclear why Apple felt it necessary to create a new GM build, but it is likely built to squash some remaining bugs. Also unclear: which build Apple plans to actually ship and if this new silent 13A603 release is simply an error.

In early September, it was reported that OS X Mavericks will ship in late October, and recent information has pinpointed a release later this week. The new Mac OS will arrive alongside new MacBook Pros, with the new Mac Pro to ship in the coming months. It’s unclear if the new GM of Mavericks will push back the launches as the new build would likely require Apple to re-install Mavericks on the new Macs.

Per the Wall Street Journal, a series of rumors has been reaffirmed that Apple will be releasing a next-generation Retina version of the iPad mini, as well as a thinner, redesigned iPad, at an upcoming special event planned for Tuesday.

Citing sources from Apple’s supply chain, the newspaper reports that a new Retina display-toting iPad mini will debut at Tuesday’s media event, siding with a number of industry watchers who believe Apple can overcome apparent supply chain constraints with the high-resolution panel.

While analysts and mainstream media alike agree that Apple will likely unveil a redesigned fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad next week, the second-generation mini has been the source of much debate. The main concern is whether Apple’s supply chain can manufacture a sufficient number of 7.9-inch Retina-quality panels.

Earlier in October, Reuters suggested that Apple may face severe supply constraints of its next-gen iPad mini if the company chose to launch the device this year. The report cited sources as saying low yields from Apple’s display suppliers, LG Display, Samsung and Sharp, were holding up production of the tablet. This aligns with a prediction from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s prediction, who said low display yield rates would delay mass production of the next-gen iPad mini until October.

If Apple is able to meet anticipated demand for the unannounced mini, however, the tablet is forecast to outsell its larger brother nearly two to one over the lucrative holiday season.

Interestingly, a look Apple’s indirect channel inventory showed high levels for the current non-Retina iPad mini, suggesting the model may be carried over after Tuesday’s announcement. Alternatively, the company could have simply dumped remaining direct channel inventory to reseller channels ahead of the new models’ anticipated debut.

As for the full-size iPad, the article reiterated claims from an August report that said the fifth-gen tablet will employ GF2 thin-film screen technology to make the device slimmer and lighter than its predecessors. The larger iPad is also said to feature a redesign with thinner bezels and rounded corners, bringing it more in line with the current iPad mini.

All speculation should be laid to rest on Tuesday, when Apple is widely expected to announce the new iPad and iPad mini, possibly alongside OS X 10.9 Mavericks and new Mac products from 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.

Usability:
- Easily distinguish your virtual machines running in full screen by their names that appear for a while after switching to the virtual machine.

Devices:
- Resolves an issue with external storage devices (Thunderbolt/FireWire devices and SD/MMC cards connected via the SDXC card slot) not reconnecting to the virtual machine after the virtual machine restart, resume, or reverting to a snapshot.

- Resolves an issue with external storage devices (Thunderbolt/FireWire devices and SD/MMC cards connected via the SDXC card slot) not reconnecting to the virtual machine after being plugged out and plugged into the Mac again.

- No more annoying “device connect/device disconnect” sounds when resizing the virtual machine window, switching to Coherence, or during the Parallels Tools installation.

Switch to Parallels:
- Convert VMware virtual machines with Windows 7 (x64) installed via EFI to the Parallels format and use them in Parallels Desktop.

- Convert VMware virtual machines with Windows XP (x64) to the Parallels format and use them in Parallels Desktop.

Linux support:
- Resolves an issue with drag-and-drop files from Linux to OS X not working when the virtual machine is running in Coherence.

Other:
- Longer battery life of your Mac.

- The list of languages that sync between the host and guest OSs has been expanded.

- Check for updates from the “About Parallels Desktop” dialog.

Parallels Desktop 9 retails for US$79.99 for the full version, US$49.99 for the upgrade version and requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6.8 to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

It’s the inventory levels that hint at the cool stuff around the corner.

Per The Unofficial Apple Weblog and Engadget, Amazon’s French and German sites are currently showing the Apple TV as out of stock, with availability “from 23 October,” lending a small amount of weight to suggestions that a new Apple TV will be one of the announcements at Apple’s launch event the day before.

This isn’t the ultimate sign of things to come, but the availability date is at least an interesting coincidence.

Per AllThingsD, speaking at GigaOm’s Mobilize conference Thursday afternoon, AT&T vice president Chris Penrose told the audience that the lowest US$5, 250 megabyte day pass option, alongside a tier that allots users up to 1 gigabyte of data over a three month period for a one-time US$25 fee, is aimed at those who would normally rely on hotel Wi-Fi on the road.

Penrose expressed the company’s desire to connect more tablets to its network, saying “We really think that a Wi-Fi only tablet is good, but it is not good enough.” He added that AT&T would “like to see tablet manufacturers build just one tablet,” a single model equipped with a cellular radio. Currently, many manufacturers like Apple offer two tablet versions — cellular-capable and Wi-Fi only — to reduce costs for those who don’t plan on connecting to a 3G or 4G network.

To sign up for the new plans, users with cellular-capable tablets simply access buyasession.att.com through their device’s web browser and complete the four-step purchase process from there. An AT&T SIM card is required.

When Apple released the original iPad in 2010, users could purchase a US$29.99-per-month unlimited data plan directly from the tablet’s Settings app on a month-to-month basis using a credit card. The option remains, though the cost and data allotment varies by carrier, and some will charge only a prorated portion of the fee for users who only subscribe for a limited number of days in a given month.

If you’ve tried AT&T’s newest tier and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

It’s kind of a weird firmware update they sent out, but it might be useful.

Per AppleInsider, Apple on Thursday released an update for its MacBook Air lineup meant to test the thin-and-light laptop’s solid-state drive for a data loss issue and, if no fault is found, install a fresh firmware version.

Apple’s MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1, a 2.3 megabyte download, specifically targets mid-2012 models, a “small percentage” of which was found to have flash drives containing an unspecified issue that erases data. As noted below, if a problem is discovered and the drive cannot be update, Apple will replace the affected SSD at no cost.

From the release notes:
“Apple has discovered that a small percentage of flash storage drives in these MacBook Air models have an issue that may result in data loss. This update tests your drive and, in the majority of cases, installs new firmware to resolve the issue. If your drive cannot be updated, Apple will replace it, free of charge.”

It is unknown how widespread the issue may be, though a quick search of Apple’s Support Communities forum reveals multiple threads pertaining to SSD failures and data loss.

It’s the leaked icons that suggest that something interesting is on the way.

Per MacNN, a series of icons that seem to be downloaded from Apple servers whenever someone enters the Storage Management panel, suggesting that Apple is laying the groundwork for the updated software. Visually the icons have been changed to adopt the flat, colorful design of iOS 7.

Apple has yet to issue iOS 7 overhauls for a number of first-party apps, including not just iPhoto and GarageBand, but other important titles like the iWork suite. The company has been racing to fix problems in iOS and update its entire ecosystem, however, and may be putting apps on the backburner. One possibility is that redesigned apps will make their debut at the October 22nd iPad event.

Apple on Tuesday released two sets of printer drivers, one for HP printers and another specifically for Canon laser printers. There honestly doesn’t appear to be anything special about either update other than bringing them up to date with the latest printers and under-the-hood stuff.

The HP Printer Drivers 2.16.1 for OS X update, which stands as a 499.82 MB download and the Canon Laser Printer Drivers 2.11 for OS update, which stands as as a 28.82 MB download, install the latest drivers for an assortment of printers and multi-function devices.

The updates require an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 or later to install and run.

“This release updates the Apple-provided system Java SE 6 to version 1.6.0_65 and is for OS X versions 10.7 or later.”

The update uninstalls the Apple-provided Java applet plug-in from all web browsers. To use applets on a web page, click on the region labeled “Missing plug-in” to go download the latest version of the Java applet plug-in from Oracle.

As always, let us know what you make of the update in the comments section and stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Site news

We're migrating to a new Server and waiting for DNS to propagate globally. You are currently view the old site. Please refresh your browser until this message goes away, or tray again in a few hours. Thanks for your patience. - Jason